Dr. Maria Carrillo

Distinguished Alumnae Award Recipient, 2018

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Dr. Maria Carrillo, Chief Science Officer, Medical and Scientific Relations, Alzheimer’s Association National Office, Chicago, Illinois, is the recipient of The Alumnae of Northwestern University’s 2018 Alumnae Award.

Dr. Carrillo holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a minor in biology, from the University of Illinois, and a doctorate in neuroscience from the Neuroscience Institute, Cell, Molecular and Structural Biology department, Northwestern University.

Dr. Carrillo was named Chief Science Officer in 2015. Prior to that she was vice president, senior director and director, Medical & Scientific Relations, at the Alzheimer’s Association National Office.  She served as an assistant professor at Rush University Medical Center’s Department of Neurological Sciences; and instructor and post-doctoral fellow at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center’s Department of Neurological Sciences.

“As Chief Science Officer of the Alzheimer’s Association, Maria Carrillo’s strategic thinking and grasp of the field have made the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) the place to be for all serious workers in Alzheimer’s disease,” notes Marek-Marsel Mesulam, Director, Cognitive Neurological Alzheimer’s Disease Center, The Ruth Dunbar Davee Professorship in Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine.

“Maria has become an effective spokesperson for the importance of preclinical and clinical research to head off the approaching Alzheimer’s Disease epidemic, markedly increasing Alzheimer’s Disease federal research funding,” says John F. Disterhoft, Magerstadt Memorial Research Professor, Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. “In addition, she is an outstanding example of work/family balance and community involvement.”